MSU’s Petree drafted by Cardinals in 9th round

Nick Petree’s days of pitching in Hammons Field, where he’s never lost as a member of Missouri State’s baseball team, might not be over.

The St. Louis Cardinals, whose Double-A team shares the ballpark with the Bears, selected the junior All-America right-hander in the 9th round of the Major League Draft on Friday.

“I grew up a baseball fan, but not really a fan of any one team,” Petree said from his home in Clinton, where he followed the draft with his parents. “Once I moved to Springfield (for college) and started going to Springfield Cardinals games, I became a Cardinals fan. And now, I’m definitely one.

“It’s just a great moment,” he said of the call from Cardinals area scout Jared Odom confirming the selection.

Petree wasn’t the only MSU pitcher receiving good news on Friday. Senior right-hander Grant Gordon went in the 10th round to the Los Angeles Angels.

Petree was the 275th overall selection in the draft and, should he someday pitch for the Springfield Cardinals he will be in familiar – and successful – surroundings. He’s 12-0 with a 1.04 earned run average in 18 career starts at Hammons Field.

The Springfield Cardinals clubhouse is only about 90 feet away from the Bears’ clubhouse.

“I’d have been glad to get a chance anywhere,” Petree said, “but to get a chance with the Cardinals organization is great. To stay local is kind of an added bonus.”

Petree recently became the first three-time All-American in MSU history. His career record is 27-7 with a 1.76 earned run average46 career starts after bouncing back from elbow ligament replacement surgery coming out of high school.

Called a “college version of Greg Maddux” by trade publication Baseball America, because his fastball doesn’t crack 90 miles per hour, Petree relies on pinpoint control and relentless competitiveness to get batters out.

“The guy just competes his rear off,” Bears pitching coach Paul Evans said earlier this spring. “He’d rather pitch in a 1-0 game than in a 9-0 game. The bigger the challenge the more he enjoys it.”

Petree went 8-1 withi a 1.61 ERA this season, striking out 111 while walking 19 in 100 1/3 innings. It was a strong follow up to a sophomore season in which he was named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Year, going 10-4 with a Division I-best 1.01 ERA with a 73-inning streak of not allowing an earned run.

About MSU Sports Central

Lyndal Scranton and Erin Bolen cover MSU sports teams for the News-Leader. Get their perspective on university sports throughout the season. Join in by clicking to comment on any of the blog entries below.